Part 26: (Not A) Beautiful Noise

Update 20 - Story: (Not A) Beautiful Noise

Oh, er, looks like I'm a bit late on this one. I had my hands full today, apologies for that.

Edit: Oh, looks like one of the portraits supersized on me. Ugh, let me dig through my files and fix this. Got it.

Welcome back to more anime school madness, this time we're tackling the end of Anisette's story, effectively the most deadly girl on campus.


Using that massive pile of EXP I got from the last mission, all of our classes are up to level 10 now.


I go ahead and put Marion into Trooper Veteran, just in case I really need a promoted unit.


We're only going to be seeing 2 of these 3, as one of them is Coleen's third event. We'll see that in the next update.



--

Music: Everyday Life of the Class



Yep, this is definitely high school.






: Ugh, why do we even have to do this stuff anyway?





: "Hardins did nothing but eat and sleep again."
: That doesn't count as writing up the minutes!


: Hmph, whatever.



Erik providing us riveting experience as always.

What else do we have for today?


~* Classroom - Franca's First Event *~


*The school bell rings out.*



: Whoa, what's going on? Sounds like it's coming from our classroom.



Music: Theme of the Rebels



: Sometimes an apology simply doesn't cut it, Nichol!



: (It's a textbook case of big sister laying down the law on little bro.)
: (Oh, that's right. I forgot they were related.)


: Yes, ma'am...
: (Franca's always been extra tough on Nichol.)
: (I guess being siblings makes it that much harder to let things slide.)
: (I can remember times I got an earful from Leon. I'd be bummed for days...)


: I know you're only on his case because you care about him, but still...
: Um...
: I can remember days when my brother'd chew me out all the time.
: It was rough, but thinking back on it, he just wanted me to be the best I could.
: He was extra harsh on purpose to try and goad me into trying harder at--



: Hey! Now that's just mean!
: Were you quite done talking? I have a class to prepare for. Good day.
: Come along, Nichol. Don't dawdle!



: I don't think Nichol's useless in combat either.
: I wonder if she just doesn't like him.





More depressing stuff,just great. I suppose it's worth noting that Franca's/Nichol's story is different than what I initially expected.

I guess it's a saving grace that we didn't get these two last time because that would've made for one grim update.

Well, prepare your lawsuit for whiplash, because the tone is going to jump entirely in the other direction.


~* Drill Grounds - Anisette's 3rd Event *~

Music: Everyday Life of the Class


Her sprite moves back and forth plus in to try and show a circular movement. It looks...really odd, honestly. Then again, I spend too much time staring at this game.


What even is a "vogue" anyways? I know some dance stuff, but I've never heard the term before.


...A stylized dance that evolved out of Harlem ballrooms? Huh.


: But this is no time to dwell on the sacrifice.
: Today, after school, my sister will be arriving!

I suppose that means she has clearance. She led a squad of her own during the last war for a while or something. I've never been clear on it, given it was DLC and Edy's not particularly a favorite character.






: We're going around telling folks now. You guys should come It'll be fun!

Nobody gave her permission for this, by the way. She's just doing it without asking/thinking. Arguably, she's less annoying than Avan due to her having much less screen time.


: A-and I, um... I feel like I'm coming down with a bad case of, er, black death!




: Oh, that'd be us.


: Wh-what?!

: Honestly, it's gauche to use this historic academy as a place to play idol.

: It's stunts like this that explain why nobody has any respect for your class.

: Anyway, if you must hold your little concert, do it someplace else.


: "Play" idol?
: Uh, Anisette?





---


Yeah, so we're going to shoot down the other class with dummy rounds because their preparations for actual military encounters is getting in the way of our high school pop idol concert.

Don't you just love this game like I do?
_{To clarify, that was sarcasm.}

Oh, and we're restricted to just these two units. There's not even any allowance to call in more on the map, this is just it.

Compared to other ones we'll face though, this one's pretty easy.

Music: Practice Battle


Yeah, but what they're doing isn't either. They are trying to prepare for actual military encounters here, even if they're not the nicest people.


They only give me 4 CP per turn for this mission. Yeah, that's as awful as you think it is.

I mean, being troopers, they'll both be out of any sizable amount of AP after 2 movements, but 4 is still really stingy.


I move Anisette forward and take out a dude who was unfortunate enough to be standing in the open. He doesn't stand a chance.


This guy is a bit better off given he's behind a sandbag.


I don't really feel like wasting a grenade present on him, so I just have these two goofs point their guns towards the guy.


I sincerely hope we're using dummy bullets here. I mean, regardless this is assault, but I don't think mortally wounding our fellow classmates is going to be a good idea.



My turn ends with me getting Anisette to the grass for interception fire. This is a capture the flag map, so I'm really trying to push forward as fast as possible.


Oh, uh, I guess I have an extra CP left. Avan, go to the grass too.


I took a few shots at the guy on the base for fun. I find it odd that bullets in VC lose damage at a distance, thus resulting in 60+ headshots required to take this guy down from here.

It makes about as much sense as this game does.



The first action taken is this guy moving forward and just looking at Avan. He doesn't shoot.

I guess he's the first guy so far to know when to not trigger a counterattack.


About all else the enemy does is send in reinforcements that aren't nearly as smart.


And like that, it's my turn again.






Anisette then goes on a rampage.


It ends when this guy barely manages to not go down.


She also takes a shot to the head and ends the encounter with 17 HP.


It just makes her angrier.




It's not that hard of a mission. I cut that close, but I should've just delivered a grenade. Everything's easier when grenades are involved.




Well, I'll take the EXP and DCT, I guess. Marion's is still one of the easiest to farm if I ever felt like it.



--

Music: Theme of Class G

Have I ever mentioned that the opening bits to this song has always bothered me? It doesn't help I've heard it so damn much.

|Listen to the voice acting here|


You just wantonly assaulted multiple classmates over a small patch of land in a giant training ground. But okay, whatever.


: I can see just how serious you are about becoming a star now.
: Sister Edy?!

Who addresses their family like this? Shouldn't it just be "Edy"?



: Well, I'm in an extra good mood today, dear, so I'll tell you.
: They say it was Squad 7 of the militia that won the war and saved Gallia.
: And they say it was one star-slash-heroine that held that squad together.
: I am that star... Edy Nelson!

I remember you being a pretty mediocre shocktrooper unit. Shocktroopers were mediocre as-is in VC1, so that's saying something.



: Anisette, dear, don't keep me waiting. Let's see this big concert!

Oh, they're all just incredibly violent then. That's neat.


: What? Why me?!


: Oops, sorry. Man, you've gotten good at this.
: Well of course! Now for the spin... and vogue!
: Uh... vogue!

*Applause*


: I would feel guilty if I didn't repay you in kind. Ooh, how about a song?
: Ooh, would you?! Oh please!

Music: None


: You stoooood... Always smiiiliiing... Ever quiet, ever tender...

*Massive screen shake*





Music: Are We A Spoiled Class?


: I look forward to it! Do take care, Edy!

It is worth noting that Avan's portrait is still shaking.




: Wh-what ever is the matter, Avan?
: Everything! Look, I won't tell you not to look up to her.


Unfortunately, I have to agree with Avan here. Edy does NOT have the Miracle Voice.


---

So that was sure an update. Depressing stuff and random hostility! Isn't VC2 just the greatest?

...Japes aside, this wasn't a very fun update. Anisette's a great combat unit, but story-wise she's a bit awful.

Anyways, we've got Coleen coming up next, and it should be at least a partial break from this game's inability to have any consistent tone. I find this game plays the serious card way too hard and keeps flip-flopping in tone-deaf vagaries, even in the main story, as result of various hijinks.

I mean, I'm normally a person who's all for a silly and fun/ parodical story, but this particularly bothers me because part of my brain wants to take this seriously. Comic relief doesn't work when half your story is comic relief and the other half is just depressing/ grim.

Here's Anisette's updated yearbook and potentials, just in case you wanted to see 'em: